Portillo’s Hot Dogs to Occupy Former Uncle Sam Space in Scottsdale
Uncle Sam’s old home in the Scottsdale Fiesta Shopping Center is going to the dogs. Portillo’s Hot Dogs, an Illinois-based, 47 restaurant group also in Indiana and California plans its first Arizona location near the southwest corner of N. 90th St. and E. Shea Blvd across from Scottsdale-Shea Hospital.
First order of construction is demolition of the former Uncle Sam restaurant to be replaced with an 8.9K SF building including a 1.4K SF basement. The new restaurant, designed by Jensen & Jensen, matches shopping center design, but modifies the parking arrangement and increases the footprint from 7.1K to 7.4K SF. The eatery includes a dual-window drive-through, and modifies pedestrian traffic patterns to increase safety and access to other businesses.
The site fronts Shea Blvd., and maintains existing major traffic patterns. Landscaping meeting minimum Scottsdale standards is proposed. A small outdoor patio area is included. OPENING SOON
Sheesh Portillo's, what took you so long?
That's what a lot of Chicago transplants in the Valley may be saying to themselves upon hearing the news that the Chicago-area restaurant company is bringing its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, hamburgers, Maxwell Street Polish, salads, and desserts to several locations in the Valley.
Count me in that crowd. As a longtime Chicagoan, Portillo's, a fast-casual restaurant known for its quick service, great food, eye-catching decor, and counter-view of food preparation, was a mainstay (I was particularly partial to the Chicago dogs and Fantastic Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches and whenever I go back to visit, it's a must-have.
Currently, Portillo's has 31 locations in Illinois, two in California, and one in Indiana. The new locations in the Valley would be thefirst in Arizona.
"We ship a lot of [mail-order] food to Arizona, and I got e-mails all the time from people asking us to open there," founder Dick Portillo told the Phoenix Business Journal. "I think we have a lot of fans there, and I want to be proactive on this."
The waiting, as they say, is the hardest part.
No comments:
Post a Comment